The Island

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Kirklyn

I hadn't slept in three days when Kalian showed up. His long green boat filled half the harbour, it's white sails were down, and I could see the lantern on the masts from where I stood on the balcony of my room.

"You okay Kirk?" Issac said, coming behind me and putting his hand on my shoulder, "You don't have to see anybody if you don't want to,"

I knew that, but I needed Kalian to help us find her. I nudged off his hand off and walked to the doors leading out of my room, looking at my brother still on the balcony. When I opened the door, Kalian was already standing there, hand up to knock.

"Oh," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "I came with the map you asked for, and the boats" he stammered, looking back at Issac and me, "How's the search going." He whispered, scanning the room.

"We know where she is, but every time I suggest going after her, I get outvoted. It's like they don't want her back."

"I'm sorry,"

"Everyone's sorry," I said, quoting what Tillie had said to me all those nights ago, "Everyone offers their condolences, but sorry doesn't bring her back"

"They're waiting for the right moment."

"The longer we wait, the less likely Tillie will survive," I said, flinching as another vision bled through.

Tillie and Zoie, whispering in a dark cell, tendrils of shadow whispering around. Tillie was hiding her feet behind her, hiding the darkening skin from Zoie.

"We're running out of time" I gasped, turning and searching for a piece of paper to draw on.

Issac took the paper when I finished drawing, confused until I pointed out her charred legs.

"She's turning into a Demented," Kalian said when he was handed the paper. He leaned back on the couch, his white shirt open at the collar, showing his chest, from which a sea serpent tattoo peeked. His shirt was tucked into a green sash around his waist, hiding a small dagger.

"Now you see why we need to get her out."

I looked at Kalian from where I sat and watched his eyes dart from me to Issac, debating something in his head. I would've asked him about it, hadn't one of the guards come in to announce a council meeting had been called. The third one today. The three of us walked down, the guards at the council doors stepping aside so we could get in. The table had been brought back in, the metal chairs replacing the soft ones from the Gathering. I took my seat beside where Tillie would've sat, looking at it and wishing she was sitting there, smiling at somebody's joke.

But she wasn't.

And nobody else was fighting to get her back.

Georgia had stormed out of this room three weeks ago when the votes for rescuing Tillie came in.

"We switched the leader instantly last time, we'll do that again." One of the Sir's of the Quarters had said.

"John's death was confirmed," Georgia said, clearly trying not to blow up in his face, "Tillie is alive."

"She won't be for long," he said, gesturing to the latest of my visions. There was nobody in it, just a noose above a platform.

"Like hell, you know!" She shouted, standing suddenly, "What have you survived?" She yelled, stabbing the table with her dagger, "We know where she is, so let's go get her."

"It will take planning-"

"Here's a plan." She said, turning and looking over her shoulder, "I'll get her myself." She lifted her finger, damning the Sir to hell as she said, "I'll bring them both back" and she was gone.

Nobody had heard from her since. We'd told Isabelle, and she flew out instantly, searching for her sister. And here we were again, the Sir's of the Quarter still voting against going after her, and with Zain and his sister's gone with other things, it had just been me and Issac trying to convince them to change. The North Quarter is the only one who did, but it needed to be unanimous.

Shit.

Tillie was running out of time, and I hardly thought the others would listen to Kalian, even if he was an ally, he wasn't from Centerville.

When the others walked in, the first thing I noticed was the Sir who argued the hardest wasn't leading the pack like he always did. Instead, it was a girl who looked similar to him, his sister.

"My brother couldn't make it today, food poisoning." She said with a wink in my direction, taking a seat."Lady Tillie is still gone, and I assume it's my brother's fault. He never really agreed with her." She said, now sliding a piece of paper to me.

Every single Sir had voted yes to saving Tillie, all it needed was my signature.

The ink hadn't dried by the time I had walked out of the room, falling to my knees as soon as I reached my balcony, gripping onto the rail as I smiled.

"I'm coming Tillie." I whispered to the sky, "I'm coming to get you out."